Freckles and Proper Dates
by Anyisa
Summary: Yes, Hermione and Ron are meant to be together, but it doesn't mean that it was a blissful happening from the beginning. R&R
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: I own nothing recognizable in this story. I don't usually do this paring but a phrase go caught in my head and wouldn't leave until I had it written down (it's been almost 2 months). I do hope you enjoy it, I'm pleased with how it came out!

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Hermione forced a smile at the image in front of her and resisted the urge to smooth the skirt of her dress down again or to critique her appearance. She'd been 'getting ready' for the past hour and three quarters but had yet to stop picking at one thing or another when she stared at her image in the mirror. First had been her hair, which in honesty was always the first thing she noticed, needed some type of management. A quarter bottle of Sleekeasy had left her with perfect wavy curls that she'd done up in a romantic half updo, at least that'd been the name she'd seen in the muggle magazine she'd read before she started getting ready. The dress she wore was the third, eighth and final (tenth) she'd tried on and while she loved it, the periwinkle colour a known compliment to her complexion and the three quarter length midi skater style flattering on her slim frame, she was a bit uneasy with the hem that, while longer then most dresses she tried on, tended to 'float' when she turned too quickly. She'd done her make up with a steady hand and an open Witches Weekly by the mirror, quietly cursing when a line went wonky or a powder didn't quite blend like the witch demonstrated on the page. She had been all for using a simple charm for the task but found that it took her mind of her nerves of the upcoming date. Narrowing her eyes she raised her hand to brush away a stray hair that seemed to not want to tame itself along with the rest.

"Stop, you look amazing, 'Mione." Ginny said from the bed, a smile on the younger woman's face as she watched the brightest witch of their age in a tizzy over getting ready for a date.

"But my hair is just….."

"Is fine just the way it is. He's going to take one look at you forget how to speak." The redhead finished, rolling her eyes and standing up to stand beside her friend. "You know, it's kind of funny to watch this."

Hermione scoffed at her friend's statement and turned to her, " How on earth is this funny? My date will be here in half an hour and I'm still not even nearly ready."

"All those times you tsked at the girls and me for primping before going to Hogsmeade and here you are acting worse than any of us only it's five years later."

The brunette witch pursed her lips at the accurate observation but refused to comment on it. Of course she'd told them all they should focus on studying more, they were in school, but now, looking at the open magazine floating just off to the side of the mirror, she also realized that Ginny, or any of the other women she'd gone to school with, would have been finished getting ready an hour ago and with much less makeup wasted. She sighed at the thought but straightened her shoulders before giving one last look in the mirror and spinning around.

"I'm ready."

"Thank goodness, I don't think I could bare to watch you another second!" Hermione rolled her eyes at her friends dramatics. "He should be round in a half hour, it's a good thing you knew you'd take ages getting ready." Gin continued, looking at the wristwatch she wore and standing up. "Well, let's go show the boys."

Hermione felt her back stiffening a bit at the mention of 'the boys' but she followed her friend out of her room and down the steps of Grimmauld place. She, Ginny and Ron had all moved in with Harry when the War aftermath had settled and they had all made nice roommates for the most part but lately Ron had been stand-offish to her. Once the war had ended she'd thought that they would finally be able have a proper date, get to know one another without death and despair hanging over their heads, but he'd been too worried about being a war hero, going out and having a new witch on his arm each time for her to even think that her feelings were even the vaguest bit reciprocated. It had hurt, but she'd moved on and begun dating herself. It had been tense for a few months but they'd finally been able to find a common ground and their friendship had recovered but it was still a bit touchy.

"Who is it tonight, Hermione?" Harry asked with a smile from the couch in the sitting room, which also doubled as the Floo parlor.

"Oh honestly, you act as if I have a different man every night, Harry." She huffed at him as she sat in a chair by the fireplace, smoothing the skirt of the dress as she did so and trying not to see a thread that looked like it could begin unraveling at any time.

"Well he's not wrong." Ron mumbled from the doorway, his arms crossed as he leaned on the door jam.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the comment but chose to ignore it in any other way. He'd been making those kind of remarks lately, whenever she was getting ready or waiting for someone to pick her up. It always annoyed her but the next day he was back to being himself.

"It's Macky from the office." She answered with a smile to Harry, whose face had turned pink from Ron's comment.

"Isn't he the bloke that took his mother to a Ministry ball when he first got hired?"

They all ignored Ron's question and he eventually huffed but walked into the room to sit in the chair opposite of Hermione, slouching into his seat and folding his arms across his chest once more.

"What do you have all over your face?" The redhead asked suddenly, standing up and crossing over to her, a hand to her chin moving her head this way and that before she batted it away. "Your freckles are gone, why'd you do that?"

"Honestly, Ronald, I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"Sweet Merlin, mate, why the bloody hell did you say that?"

"You arse! What is bloody wrong with you? Hermione looks amazing and you go and say something like that?"

"She's never worn anything on her face before, I was just asking!"

Hermione glared at him as the other two continued to berate him as he tried to explain himself and couldn't help the sigh of relief when the fire turned green and Macky stepped out of the flames, causing an instant and awkward hush to fall over the room as he brushed himself off.

"Oh, Hermione, you look absolutely lovely." the oblivious man said with a smile, producing a bouquet of red roses from his pocket as he smiled and nodded around the room before looking back to her. "My mum said you'd like these, I hope I wasn't too forward in bringing red roses but she was quite insistent."

Hermione hid her wince while moving her hair behind her shoulder and ignored the snort of amusement Ron issued before reaching out for them, withdrawing quickly when his hands lingered over hers for a bit too long.

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you. I'll go put them in water." she said before turning and moving to the kitchen, knowing full well she could have conjured a vase on the spot but needing to get away from both the redhead and coworker in the room.

In simple truth she'd only agreed to the date after being unable to say no to the almost painfully shy man when he'd asked her and she'd regretted it since. She'd worn more makeup today than she had in the past year and had a strong feeling it was simply because she needed a 'game face' to get through the date. She had put the flowers (the last of her list of favorites) in water and made her way back to the parlor when she heard Harry and Ron walking across the hall to the stairs.

"Well it's not as if I meant it to sound like that." Ron was saying to Harry, neither of them seeing her as they stopped at the bottom of the steps.

"Well you sounded like a bloody arse. She already looked nervous and then you go and say that and she…."

"I know what happened, but I was just…..I don't know." there was a pause and she could almost see Ron rubbing the back of his neck. "She's never gotten made up before like that."

Hermione heard a sigh and thought it was harry but she couldn't be sure.

"Well maybe she's serious about this bloke more than the others."

"But she covered her face all up. She's not like the other witches that need to do their face with all that gunk up. It's Hermione and….and …..she covered her freckles up."

Hermione furrowed her brows at his sudden fascination on the sprinkle of marking on her nose and cheeks.

"You need to let to go, mate. You're already on thin ice with her for acting like a royal prat the past few years, don't muck up what could be a good thing for her."

"I'm trying. It's not as though I thought she'd wait for me but I just...I don't like her going with other men. I thought she realized I was serious about her but she's been flaunting these men around me and it's driving me mad. I asked her out to lunch a few days ago and she told me she'd think about it but she just says yes to every other man who asks and it's not….."

"Hermione, have you found a vase?" Ginny called from the parlor, stopping the overheard conversation and causing hermione snap out of the almost voyer like transe.

"Yes, coming." She called, her cheeks heating as she walked past the two men standing at the base of the stairs and walking back to her date, who was wringing his hands and nervously glancing around the room.

"Oh, thought you'd run off." Macky, she supposed she should call him his given name of Gene, said with a sigh of relief, his hands going to his pockets and his eyes going to her chest.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was just….admiring the flowers. Shall we go?" she said with forced smile and a pink in her cheeks that hadn't had time to go away.

"Just hold onto my arm." He smiled at her, holding his arm out. "Mum said the first date is the most important so I hope you enjoy the restaurant."

Hermione raised a brow at the second mention of his mother kept her smile up before following him into the flames, too worried about sending a quick glance back at Ginny who was biting her lip to keep from laughing, to hear where he called out. It wasn't until she was properly dusted off that she looked around to see where they were.

"Oh, are we going to Diagon Alley, then?" she asked, looking around the Leaky Cauldron while thinking of several restaurants she enjoyed there and looking forward to a good meal despite the strange company.

She looked over to him as she asked and saw a look of confusion before a smile spread across his face. "Oh you are the jokster, aren't you?" He asked as he took off his cloak and hung it on a hook. "Mother and I talked about it and we both decided that a place that both of us are familiar with would be best. Tonights special is haggis, neeps and tatties, my favorite."

Hermione suppressed a groan as he pulled out a seat for her but sat just the same, hoping the night would go quickly and they'd both be assured a repeat performance wouldn't be needed.

* * *

Hermione walked through the Floo an hour and a half later and sighed in relief as she kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen, the thoughts of Molly's lasagna flashing through her mind. She had just heated a slice and was putting it between to slices of olive oil bread when she heard someone come into the kitchen.

"Hermione." Ron said in surprise, looking between her face and the plate in her hand. "Thought you went out for dinner."

"Yes, well….he ordered me haggis." she said with a shrug before moving to sit at the small table.

"But you hate haggis."

Hermione nodded her head, her mouth full of a bite of food, and tried not to watch him too closely as he made his own lasagna sandwich, though his was twice the size of hers. She resisted the urge to blush as his earlier talk with Harry entered her mind and focused on her food when he sat across from her. They sat in silence broken only by chewing for a few minutes.

"I didn't mean it to sound the way it did when I asked about your make up earlier." He said quietly before taking another bite of his sandwich, which was almost gone while Hermione had still had over half of hers.

"Then what way did you mean it?" she asked after she'd chewed her bite and put her sandwich down, looking over at him with genuine curiosity.

"It's just….you've never gotten that done up before for a bloke." at that she rolled her eyes and he hurried to continue. "Not saying you didn't look nice, 'Mione. You looked bloody gorgeous. But you always do. I guess i was just surprised is all, I like the way you look better without all that stuff other witches use."

Hermione looked down at her plate and ran her fingers over a chip around the edge of it when he finished, not knowing what to say at the sudden statement.

"We're supposed to be together by now." he added after another minute of silence.

"Well you have a funny way of letting me know that." she answered hotly, pushing her sandwich away and leaning forward, a glare on her face at his statement. "Tell me, Ron, was I supposed to sit around watching and waiting for you to go through every available witch? Wait until you decided that you'd had your fill of bachelorhood and were ready to settle down? Sorry, but I didn't quite receive that message." She all but hissed at him.

"That's not….I didn't mean….. Bloody hell, Hermione, I love you. Don't act as if you don't know! I've known you were the once for me since we were in third year." She watched as his ears turned pink and his face turned it's usual red when he got a bit worked up.

"You shagged your way through half of wizarding London, Ron. How on earth was I supposed to find your love for me in that?" she demanded, her hand slapping down on the table.

"I didn't shag my way through anything, Hermione! You know me better than that."

"I know our history, Ronald. You expect me to wait around for you while you go and have your fun, you've done it since we were at Hogwarts. It's like you think I'm only here for when you need me! You've been horrible to me before every date I've gone one but you expect me to sit back and smile like a daft fool while you parade witch after witch in front of me."

"It wasn't like that!"

"Says you!"

Hermione stopped herself from continuing and sat back in her chair to get her breathing back under control. If he would have said any of this a year or two ago she knew she would have gone a bit giddy but hearing it all tonight, after his prat like behavior earlier and now, she could only fight the urge to start a scathing argument.

"I didn't shag any of those women, you know. Might of snogged them but I didn't do what the papers wrote up. I was just...I don't know. I got caught up in it all. We'd just defeated that bloody snake of a man and could do as we please. I wasn't thinking clearly for a bit there and let it go to my head but I realized… I don't know, I guess I just realized I had you…"

Hermione felt her heart soften a touch and closed her eyes to gather strength. While they'd gone round and round more times than she could count, he'd never explained himself in any type of way other than a simple 'well what do you want from me?'. She sat back in her seat and looked at him, truly looked at him, for the first time in almost three years. His hair was a bit shorter than it had been and sleep had it sticking out in every way, his eyes were the same blue they'd always been but she noticed they seemed almost tired, and not from lack of a good night's sleep, his freckles were more pronounced and had seemed to double but he wore them well.

"What are you expecting me to say, Ron?" she asked after she finished her quick once over.

"I'm not really sure." They stared at each other and both started slightly when the clock in the hall chimed nine times before he continued. "I just want you to give me a chance. You act like I'm some horrible man who's done terrible things to you on purpose and I know I was a shitty friend at times but I never wanted to hurt you. I do love you and I see how you could not believe me, I just want a chance to show you."

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at her unfinished sandwich on the table between them before looking back up at him. He seemed sincere and she didn't know how to handle that, it was completely new territory.

"I don't know, Ron. I'm still not sure what you're expecting me to say right now. This is the most we've spoken in years and you expect me to ignore…."

"I'm not expecting you to do anything but give me a chance, Hermione." He interrupted quickly as he leaned forward. "I can't change anything about the past, but I want us to at least be open about the future."

Once again she found herself looking at the redhead across from her. She'd never heard him speak like this in all of their friendship and she was almost at a loss for words.

"Please, Hermione. I've been thinking since you left on your date and I can't keep doing this. I know, I know, you had to do the same with me for ages but I'm dense sometimes, Hermione, everyone knows that."

"Ron, where is all of this coming from?"

She watched as he sighed and looked down at the table, rubbing his neck as he turned a shade of red.

"You covered up your freckles, Hermione." was the only answer.

Her brow furrowed again at the mention and ran her fingers along the bridge of her nose gently.

"What on earth does that have to do with anything?" she asked, truly confused by the subject.

"He gave you roses and you hate them. I could handle that because every bloody man who's come around for you has done it and it doesn't bother you. He orders for you even though you're almost scarily independent. He looked at your chest the moment he finished dusting himself off and I do that myself so I couldn't fault him." at that Hermione rolled her eyes but folded her arms across her chest. "He was like every arse that you've had pick you up….but you come down looking far too good for him and you covered up something that makes you...you. Changed something for a guy who talks about him mum more than his job while AT work and you didn't even have to do it. You're gorgeous and then you go and do something like that. That was all I could take. You shouldn't change yourself for anyone and you did it, I don't want to see the woman I've known for years and years….the woman I've loved for years as well change because a bloke didn't like something. I know we're going to have a row every Thursday because I don't fold the tea towels so they fit in the drawer properly, you forget to eat when you have a case at work that you can't crack and your hair is almost scary when you wake up but it's all you. And those freckles. They're the first thing I look at when I see you. I can't stand by and see you changing."

Hermione sat at the table taking his words in and turned to look at the wall, hoping to stop the watering eyes she found herself with. A loss for words was an understatement for the usually outspoken witch and so she simply turned her head slightly to look down at the table, feeling a tear slip down her cheek that she hastily tried to wipe away.

"Oh, Herms' please don't cry." he almost whispered before getting up and rounding the table.

She batted his hands away as he kneeled in front of her and swiped a thumb across her cheek but he only grabbed her hands in a gentle grasp with the other.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she all but sobbed, closing her eyes when he continued to wipe away tears and refused to break the light hold he had on her wrists. "I've waited for years for you to even acknowledge that I'm more then one of the blokes and just when I finally get done waiting you out you go and do this."

"Fuck."

"I was doing good, Ron, I was letting myself get out more, I wasn't just the bookworm. I was going out and talking to men. They all thought I was with you, it took years for even the Owlery runner to say more than three words to me! You were running out with any witch that slipped her number into your palm and there I was, sat in the cafeteria at lunch alone because they didn't want to upset Auror Weasley. And now I go and get myself out into real world and you have a fit and I'm supposed to stop it all."

"I've made a right mess of this." She heard him whisper as his hand stilled.

"You just don't get to decide that I need to catch up with you and your new found feelings for me."

"They're not new found feelings, Hermione. Please, just give me the time you give the tossers that ask you out. I don't even want an answer right now just please…...promise me that you'll think about it."

She bit her lip and opened her eyes to look at him. She thought over the words he'd said and sighed.

"Just because I'll think about it doesn't mean I'll agree to do anything, Ronald. I'll still go on dates as I want, with whom I want and you'll have to stop being so rude the me...and whomever I date." she said slowly, wanting to make sure not the say the wrong thing or seem to be weakening….which she was. She watched as his mouth tightened at the mention of her continuing to date but he still nodded in agreement. "And you….you don't have to change your dating habits either. If we decide to go on a proper date it will be as if we've just met and are getting to know each other…."

"But I don't want to order you haggis or give you flowers you'll only throw out when you get home. I know you, Hermione, and you know me."

"I don't know if we know each other that well." Hermione broke in, thinking about his current un-Ron like behaviour. "Maybe that's been part of the problem."

Ron looked at her for a long second then nodded in agreement, letting go of her hands to walk back around the table and sit across from her again. She tried not to look startled at his easy agreeance and pulled her plate close to her again, picking up her almost forgotten sandwich to take a bite.

"My name is Ron Weasley." He started, his mouth pulled up at the side when she looked at him in confusion. "I work at the Ministry of Magic with my friend Harry. I've seen you around the hallways and figured…."

"Ron, what are you doing?" She asked after finishing her bite and putting the sandwich back down on the plate.

"I'd like to ask you to have dinner with me, get to know each other. We haven't been able to talk at work and I'm just wondering that if you're free Saturday, tomorrow that is, you'd let me take you out."

Hermione felt her brow furrow and tilted her head slightly to the side in question.

"Ron….?"

"I'm just a bloke wanting to get to know a woman I don't know that well."

Hermione let out a small 'oh' when it finally clicked what he was on about and let a small smile slip before she straightened in her chair to answer him.

"Thank you, I'll have to think about it but I'll let you know by the morning." she responded with a nod to him before she pushed her chair out and stood to go up to her room. "You can have the rest." she added pushing her plate towards him as she walked around the table towards him.

She was just walking past him when he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Thank you, Hermione. You won't regret it." he said softly, his other hand already moving to bring her plate in front of him.

Hermione bit her lip again before nodding and walking to her room. She would say yes, they both knew it and it was the only reason she hadn't corrected him when he had assumed it. After charming her makeup away and slipping from her dress to an old quidditch jumper and shorts and made herself comfortable in bed, folding her hands onto her stomach and looking up to the ceiling as she thought over the conversation she and Ron had just had and wondered if she'd given in too easily. She knew straight away that while tomorrow may be a pleasant time, it would be hard for them, or at least her, to be able to forgive and forget so easily. Would she….or even should she be able to move past everything? She was still thinking the question over as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Waking up the next morning Hermione stopped her routine of light yoga stretches when she saw a vase of pink Dahlias on her bedside table, a note sitting next to them. She bent to smell her favorite flower before plucking the note up and opening to read it. "I thought of you' was all it said in Ron's sketchy hand writing. She blushed at the note and knew without a doubt she would be having a proper date with the redhead tonight, if only to give him a chance. It would only be proper, after all.


	2. Time Honored Tradition

**HI all! I honestly expected this to be a one shot but when I started this bit I couldn't help but make it a little peak into what happened after! Thanks for all of the positive feedback you've given me, it's greatly appreciated!**

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Hermione was attempting to not stare in horrified and a bit indignant fascination at the almost garish box Molly Weasley had just set in front of her and instead turned to face the woman, who she saw had her hands clasped to her chest and looked as if she'd just seen her first child toddle around the room the first time. She feared she was failing horribly. She'd gone to Molly earlier today wanting a few tips to make her preparation for her date that night go a bit smoother and had been startled, to say the least, when the witch all but broke into tears on the spot and refused to stop hugging her, sobbing something about 'finally becoming a young witch' as she swayed with her. She'd refused to let her go for a rather long few minutes and then demanded she sit in the chair and she'd be right back.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to be able to help you, love. Oh, when I think of the memories attached to this box." The older woman said fondly, sighing with an almost a dreamy smile before rounding the table and sitting herself across from her.

"Oh but Molly, you must have misunderstood. I'm just wanting to learn a few simple cosmetic charms." She said kindly to the matriarch, using the back of a hand to push the box out of the way to fold her arms on the table.

"I know, love, I know! This is the starting book…..that's what muggles say, right?" The redhead said with a pleased smile, pushing the box back squarely between them and taking the lid off. "Oh, I remember how Ginny used to love this one. Look how worn it is round the handle."

Taking a deep breath Hermione closed her eyes briefly before opening them and looking at the box again, now half of it upside down beside the other half. She could make out 'Tre Chic presents Witches First Maquillage. When a young witch wants to look magnific she should always reach for Tre Chic!' and felt her lips press firmly together. There had been a young witch on the top of the box who was twisting her head this way and that, making a pouty face and then running a hand across her cheek. The side that was facing Hermione had drawn instructions that showed how to use the proper wand movements with the coordinating wand color. She felt her cheeks flush in both embarrassment and (a now constant sense of) indignation when she saw that on the corner it said 'suitable for those experimenting ages five and upwards.' She hadn't had to use training wheels by the time she was four and here she was sat in the Burrow with a children's glorified makeup kit to learn something that she should have just looked up.

"Well go on, Hermione, try one out. The instructions are on the box."

"Really, Molly, I just need a few spells that would be able to help me for tonight, nothing as…..complex as this." She responding with her hands still folded in front of her as she had no intention of reaching into the box.

"Oh, Hermione, love, I always do forget that you're rather new to this world." Molly tutted as she began removing the 'wands' herself, moving the box out of the way to set them in a line between them. "This is a time honored tradition dear. Mothers pass down these charms down to their children, no two families have the same technical technique but the movements are similar for all. You remember how thick that Brown girl used to cast her charms, my goodness I do hope she stopped that…"

Molly continued to go on about different families and how their movements were almost as good as the Weasley nee Prewetts but weren't rather close at all.

"Now, the pink is for rouge, though I assume that was rather self explanatory wasn't it? Oh and the brown is for eyelash cosmetic, the black for a nice liner and I think….." she broke off to reach into the box again, "Oh yes, here it is. This is for the powder." she finished with a smile, placing a tan wand replica next to the rest. "There are others, love, but for now, we'll stick to the basics."

She still kept her hands folded properly in front of herself, watching as the matriarch moved the box from between them and pushed the wands towards her.

"Now start with the powder, I think. It won't give you the proper color, that will be left to you and your wand, it will give you the perfect shades. Go on, off you go."

Hermione was tempted to do just that and shove away from the table but she didn't want to be rude so instead looked back down at the 'wands' between them.

"This really isn't necessary, Molly, though I do appreciate you caring eno…."

"Hermione Jean, you pick up the powder wand before I put it in your hand myself. You're too pretty of a young woman to keep trying to muck about with those muggle cosmetics, you're two shades lighter then you should be every time I see you." Molly's tone brooked no room for argument and Hermione found the tan wand in her hand almost before the woman finished. "Right then, dear. Now when you're ready you only have to raise the wand and just follow the wand."

Hermione inhaled deeply before looking at the wand, which looked rather ridiculous in her hand given it's child's size, and raised it to her face, eyes widening a bit when she felt the wand making it's own movements across her face. She looked over to Molly who was beaming before concentrating on the movements of the wand.

"Now it's a bit of hand training, dear. This gives you the ability to learn the wand movements properly without having to go through too many dreadful faux pas. Eventually, when you've learned the proper movements for your particular cosmetic needs you stop feeling the wand move for you. It's suggested to use this for a week or so to make sure you have it down and it's not just a fluke when you do it correctly on the first day."

"How can people get it wrong, then? If it stops when it's your preference."

"Oh, most women don't wait for the wand to stop, love. They simply look to see what they like and leave it at that. That's when you see the slathered on tarts or dreadfully tacky eye shadows that some witches are wearing."

Hermione didn't nod in fear of taking an eye out but hummed in response. It did make sense now, she supposed, for so many witches to use the same charm yet get such varying results. She sighed and put down the powder wand when she stopped feeling any movement and picked up the eye cosmetic wand, starting the process again and wondering why she hadn't just looked through a Witches Weekly. She'd just gotten to the rouge when the back door was thrown open and footsteps were heard coming towards the table.

"Hello Mum, Hermi….bloody hell, 'Mione. What do you have have all over your face?"

Rons horrified voice broke her out of her concentration of the wand movements and she nearly skewered her cheek when she started before wiping her head around to look at him with narrowed eyes.

"It's even worse full on." He muttered, looking at her face with rapt fascination, making her feel like a potions experiment gone horribly wrong.

"Ronald Weasley, what a horrible thing to say! I'll have you know this young woman is learning a time honored tradition and is doing quite wonderful with it! If you have nothing to nice to say then you can go straight back out the way you came."

"How on earth is that a time honored tradition?" He asked with an almost disgusted curl of his lip. "She's as pale as Nearly Headless Nick and has purple all around her eyes, I'd rather go modern then that." He continued, his eyes bouncing between Molly and Hermione, both of whom were almost seething.

"Well it's not as if their her proper colors, Ronald! We're working on her technique, the color comes from her proper wand. It's tuned into…."

"She looks like Ginny did when she was five." He tossed out.

"Well of course she does, Ronald. It's the same kit your sister used."

Hermione muttered a quiet _'_ _struccante'_ to remove the makeup and waved a hand towards the wands in front of her to put them back in the box, feeling her cheeks heating as she did so.

"Thank you, Molly, but I believe I've done enough for today." The brunette said softly before pushing up from the table and walking to door, avoiding all contact with Ron as she passed, her eyes telling the story enough.

"Oh, but dear, you were doing so well. Please stay, we can give it another go once my uncouth son gets the food he's undoubtedly here to consume and leaves." Molly said with a tsk, opening the box once again but leaving its contents inside.

"Thank you, Molly, it really was sweet of you to go out of your way to help me today but I really must be going." she answered firmly before walking through the door that wasn't properly closed and walking through the garden to the apparition point just past the wall. She glanced over her shoulder to see if either of them had followed her and saw Ron was standing at the doorway, his mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to speak but didn't have the ability to. She threw a glare at him for good measure then turned back around, muttering 'Time honored tradition, indeed" before disapparating.

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 **I hope you've enjoyed this!**


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